I’m known in my social circle as a feisty woman who never holds back her words. My mom always said I’d have a tough time after getting married. But surprisingly, I ended up with a husband who dotes on me, and a mother-in-law with a soft personality. As a result, I found myself with no outlet for my fiery temperament, and my married life was almost boringly blissful. That is, until my father-in-law’s old flame returned from abroad, and my mother-in-law started getting pushed around. I cracked my knuckles, ready to strike back! My dad has always been a total softie when it comes to me. Growing up, there was nothing I couldn’t have if I wanted it. But my mom, on the other hand, has always been too nice for her own good. If anyone asked for something, she’d give it away without a second thought. So when I was little, from my toys to our household appliances, relatives, neighbors, and even strangers could just take whatever they wanted. She was even obsessed with helping her brother. My dad would earn money, and she’d insist on buying a house, a car, and even paying for my uncle’s wedding. She even offered to take care of their kids. My dad indulged my mom because she had a tough childhood, but she took advantage of his kindness. After countless failed protests, I developed my feisty personality and sharp tongue. Anyone who crossed my path, even a stray dog, would feel my wrath. From then on, no one could take even a needle or thread from our house. I even set the PINs for my parents’ bank accounts. My spineless mom would cry in my dad’s arms, saying, “This child doesn’t know how to share. How will she survive in society?” I’d roll my eyes and retort, “If you’re so good at sharing, why don’t you share your husband? I wouldn’t mind having a stepmom.” Letting people walk all over you isn’t kindness; it’s weakness. If it weren’t for me, my dad would have given away two-thirds of his assets because of my mom. Throwing tantrums became my forte. At the slightest provocation, I’d dramatically crawl on the ground. Eventually, my uncle’s family stopped visiting. Whenever my cousin started crying, my aunt would knock on the window and say, “Your cousin is coming!” My cousin would immediately shut up. Everyone said that Cassandra, old Wang’s daughter, was such a shrew that she’d never get married. But not only did I get married, I married up. After the wedding, we lived in harmony, and I found myself with no outlet for my fiery personality.
I met my husband, Luke, through a blind date. During our first meeting, I warned him about my bad temper and told him to think carefully. To my surprise, he blushed and said he actually wanted someone with a strong personality. My father-in-law, Robert, is the CEO of an import-export company, while my mother-in-law, Helen, owns a chain of kindergartens. Luke and I meeting was pure coincidence. He was at the restaurant for a business meeting when I mistook him for my blind date. He fell for me at first sight and made it clear he wouldn’t marry anyone else. When we met the parents, my father-in-law wasn’t pleased to learn I was just a small factory owner’s daughter with a notorious temper. He was a million times against the marriage, but Luke threatened to end his life if he couldn’t marry me. So, I became Mrs. Shen. I expected chaos and drama after moving in, but my mother-in-law turned out to be quiet and never gave me a hard time. She always spoke in a gentle voice. All my expectations of epic mother-in-law battles went up in smoke. Two years into the marriage, our family life was almost scarily harmonious. Until my father-in-law’s old flame, Vanessa, called and asked him to meet her abroad. That was the first time I saw my mother-in-law lose her composure. I immediately went to dig through our family albums. When I saw photos of Vanessa snuggling up to my father-in-law, I understood why my mother-in-law was so upset. Anyone could see that this woman had an unusual relationship with my father-in-law. I mean, who takes photos pressed up against someone else’s body like that? This was even more intimate than my in-laws’ wedding photos. And this was thirty years ago when society was more conservative. If it were today, I bet Vanessa would be right in between my father-in-law and mother-in-law in bed!
The next day, I drove my car to play mahjong with some ladies. After a few rounds, I had dug up all the dirt on this Vanessa. I never imagined I’d stumble upon a plot straight out of a soap opera. It turns out that Vanessa and my mother-in-law, Helen, were switched at birth in the hospital. It wasn’t until they were eighteen that the He family discovered the mix-up and brought Helen back home. Although Helen hadn’t grown up in luxury, her foster parents had never neglected her, and she had grown into a graceful and well-mannered young lady. Vanessa, used to her life of privilege, refused to return to her birth parents. So the He family ended up raising both girls. At the time, Vanessa had a childhood sweetheart – my father-in-law, Robert. They grew up together, and Robert always took care of her. The Shen and He families were close, so they were betrothed from a young age. Later, the Shen family’s business took a downturn, and they faced financial difficulties. Vanessa broke off the engagement and married the son of an oil tycoon she had only known for a few days. Their marriage was opposed by the He family. Vanessa cut ties with them, claiming she wasn’t their biological child and they had no right to interfere in her marriage. She left for abroad to marry the rich heir. This incident broke the hearts of the He family and Robert. It was at this time that Helen entered Robert’s life. They supported each other and gradually fell in love. Vanessa had broken the engagement, and the He family, feeling guilty towards the Shen family, fully supported Helen and Robert’s relationship. Old Mr. He invested a million dollars in the Shen family business. With this financial support, Robert took a risk and eventually turned the business around. Together with Helen, they made the Shen family business thrive once again. Later, they naturally got married and had a child. Before the wedding, Robert sent Vanessa an invitation. But Vanessa never responded and didn’t show up on the wedding day. After marriage, Robert and Helen lived in mutual respect and affection. Their life was simple but happy. But everyone in the family, except me, knew that Vanessa was Robert’s true love. No one dared to mention her name; he’d fly into a rage if anyone did. I wanted to see what this nearly fifty-year-old “moon” could do.
Faced with my father-in-law rushing abroad, my mother-in-law Helen didn’t show any reaction. She even thoughtfully packed his luggage for him. But after he left, she cried alone in the bedroom. I swung my little handbag and pushed open the door to my mother-in-law’s bedroom. “Mom~ Want to get our nails done? Super long ones that could kill someone!” Helen quickly wiped away her tears and composed herself before talking to me. “Cassandra, you go ahead. I’ll give you some money.” “If you think it’s inconvenient to keep going out for manicures, we can hire a nail technician to come to the house. I’ll cover it.” Looking at the credit card my mother-in-law handed me, I wanted to hug her and call her my real mom. Just as I was about to reach for it, I caught a glimpse of her phone screen and realized she was looking at Vanessa’s social media posts. “Mom, let me see!” Helen sighed deeply and handed me her phone. I was shocked by what I saw. Vanessa had brazenly posted selfies with my father-in-law Robert on her social media, with captions like: “After all this time, it’s still you.” There was even a photo from above, showing Robert tying her shoelaces. Caption: “Only big brother still treats me like a little girl~” There was even a photo someone else took, with Robert giving her a piggyback ride, her face resting on his shoulder, looking all lovey-dovey. Caption: “After so many years, our feelings haven’t changed.” She posted seven or eight similar posts, more than most people post during an entire vacation. I couldn’t bear to look anymore and handed the phone back to Helen. “Mom, is your husband having an affair?”
Helen took back the phone, looking like she was about to cry again. I can’t stand seeing her cry. She’s rich and beautiful, why should she cry over a man? “I mean, Mom, why don’t you just divorce this cheap husband and live your best life?” Helen shook her head. “Cassandra, I’ve spent more than half my life with him. Even now, I still have feelings for him, otherwise I wouldn’t be so upset.” “Forget it, Cassandra. Go shopping! Don’t let this mess ruin your mood. Buy whatever gold jewelry you like, use Mom’s cards.” Good lord, she’s not just a mother-in-law, she’s a walking ATM! I took the five cards Helen gave me and tucked them safely in my pocket. If you pay me, I’ll do the job. I might as well help her deal with that old cheater! “It’s just an old gold digger! Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll handle it!” A few days later, my father-in-law returned from abroad. My mother-in-law and I watched him enter the yard. Vanessa was clinging to his left arm, and he was holding a little girl’s hand on his right. Vanessa wore a white form-fitting cheongsam with sparkling jewelry around her neck. Whether intentional or not, Robert was also dressed in a white suit, and even the little girl wore a white princess dress. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were a family of three in matching outfits! I rolled up my sleeves, ready to pounce. “Oh~ This must be Aunt Vanessa! Welcome, welcome! What’s wrong? Did you break your foot? Quick! Let me, your junior, help you!” Seeing me come out, my father-in-law immediately pulled his arm away from Vanessa. “Vanessa, this is Cassandra, my daughter-in-law.” Vanessa wore an unreadable expression as she politely extended her hand to me. “Hello, but why do you ask if I broke my foot?” I didn’t shake her hand, instead covering my mouth in mock surprise. “Oh my! If your foot isn’t broken, why are you clinging to someone else’s husband’s arm? Oh no! Don’t tell me! Aunt Vanessa, you didn’t do this on purpose, did you?” “OMG! Did you come back just to steal someone else’s husband?”
I didn’t expect to come on so strong right away, catching Vanessa off guard. In an instant, her eyes reddened, and she made a move to lean on Robert. I quickly squeezed Robert aside and steadily offered Vanessa my shoulder. “Auntie, I was just joking! Look at you! Did I hurt your feelings?” Unable to stand my sarcasm, Robert shouted at me. “Cassandra! What are you doing? Your Aunt Vanessa just arrived, how can you speak to her like that?” “I can see my son has spoiled you rotten! Apologize to your aunt right now!” Just as he was about to say more nonsense, I cut him off. “Auntie, I’m just the daughter of a small factory owner. I’m uneducated and uncultured, and I like to talk nonsense. You’re a big person, surely you won’t take offense at a kid like me, right?” Seeing me back down so quickly caught Vanessa off guard, leaving her speechless. Robert pointed at me, sputtering “You… you…” for a while, unable to say anything. My mother-in-law watched my performance with wide eyes before finally coming out. She walked towards the three of them, heading into the house, giving me a thumbs up behind her back. Well, what can I say? I’ve been staying at home with nothing better to do. At dinner, Vanessa kept putting food in Helen’s bowl. “Sister, thank you for taking care of Robert all these years.” Before Helen could respond, Robert waved his hand. “Vanessa, don’t worry about her. Look how thin you are, you should eat more.” He then put a piece of braised pork in Vanessa’s bowl. Vanessa daintily took a small bite of the lean meat, then put the fatty part in Helen’s bowl, giggling. “Sister~ I remember when we were little, you always liked to eat my leftovers. Back then, Mom and Dad always said you spoiled me the most. Do you remember?”
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